As Americans celebrate Independence Day, a recent Supreme Court case on mandatory LGBTQ+ lessons in Maryland’s government-run schools revealed an opinion by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, that undermines one of our most sacred liberties: the right of parents to guide their children’s upbringing.
Sotomayor warned that schools would face “chaos” and student learning would “suffer” if parents could withdraw their children from lessons with which they disagreed. Her opinion disregards parental rights and instead advocates for government control over family decisions – a view that is completely contrary to the freedom and self-rule for which Frederick Douglass fought, the same ideals we celebrate on the Fourth of July.
A Marxist Mindset Exposed
Sotomayor’s opinion shows a belief aligned to Marxism. By putting government power over parental rights, she supports a system where government dictates what children must believe, even if it clashes with their family’s faith or traditions. That’s not freedom, that’s brainwashing.
By arguing that government schools should decide what children learn about important moral issues – even over parental objections – Sotomayor’s Marxist view directly opposes the American belief that parents, not the government, have the God-given right to guide their children’s upbringing.
Slave Tactics Reborn
Douglass strongly supported parents’ God-given right to raise children with their own moral and religious beliefs. He knew that true liberty is only possible when individuals and families, not the government, have the ultimate authority to shape the values by which they and their children live. When parents lose this power, freedom begins crumbling.
Douglass’s own life shows this. As a child enslaved in Maryland – the same state now forcing these LGBTQ lessons – he was taken from his mother and not allowed to learn his family’s values and beliefs. Slaveholders understood that to truly control a person, they had to first break the powerful bond between parent and child. By tearing families apart, they robbed parents of the ability to teach their children right from wrong, to share their faith, and to pass down cherished traditions.
This wasn’t just about breaking families – it was about cutting people off from God’s laws. “The first work of slavery … is to destroy all sense of high moral and religious responsibility,” Douglass warned. “It cuts him off from his Maker … and leaves him to grope his way from time to eternity in the dark, under the arbitrary and despotic control of a frail, depraved, and sinful fellowman.”
Today, the same cruel tactics are used by a modern “slave government,” trying to break families, erase faith, and replace God’s truth with state teachings. Like old tyrants, they want to take power from parents and control what kids believe.
Freedom Needs Parents, Not Government Overlords
America was built on the idea that the government should serve the people, not the other way around. Our rights to think, speak, and believe freely keep us free. But when the government tries to tell us what to believe, it stops serving us and starts trying to master us. Our founders knew this danger and protected freedom of thought with the First Amendment.
Throughout history, countries where the government forced people to believe certain ideas became places of oppression and fear:
- In the Soviet Union, citizens had to accept communist ideas or face prison or death.
- In Nazi Germany, people were forced to believe hateful lies, and millions suffered because of it.
- In North Korea today, people must worship their leader like a god or face torture.
If we allow Marxist ideas that put government above parents to take root, we risk tearing apart the moral fabric that holds our Republic together. When the government replaces families as the source of truth and values, children grow up disconnected from faith, tradition, and the sense of right and wrong passed down through generations.
When the government tells people what to believe, freedom is lost.
The Power of True Education
Douglass knew education’s power, but that power is good only when education teaches children how to think, not what to think. Maryland’s forced lessons, with no way for parents to opt out, push one way of thinking on every child. Sotomayor’s fear about parental rights exposes a chilling reality: schools are increasingly stripping parents of their rightful authority, fracturing families, and indoctrinating children to serve the state instead of honoring their parents and their faith.
The Fourth of July Reminder
This Supreme Court decision is important to what the Fourth of July stands for. Independence Day reminds us that our rights come from God, not government. The Declaration of Independence says everyone is created equal and has the right to life, freedom and the chance to find happiness.
Nothing brings a parent greater happiness than knowing their children have the opportunity to attend excellent schools where they can learn, grow and succeed while staying true to their family’s values.
Frederick Douglass’ famous speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” asked America to live up to its promise of freedom for all. Today, keeping that promise means standing up for parental rights to help guide our children’s education.
Victory for Freedom and Families
For Frederick Douglass Republicans®, this 6–3 Supreme Court decision is a big win for freedom, responsibility, and family authority. It makes it clear that parents, not the government, have the primary responsibility and final say over their children’s education, especially on important moral and value-based topics.
Sotomayor and her supporters may claim they are protecting children, but by ignoring parental rights, they actually threaten America’s freedom.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, let’s never forget that true liberty means families, not government, must have the ultimate say in shaping their children’s moral education. If we lose that, we lose the heart of our nation.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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